


Consequences

by ReesieReads



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Tragedy, Background Huey and Dewey and Louie Duck, Caring Scrooge McDuck, Character Death, Death, Della Duck Needs a Hug, Della Duck-centric, Emotionally Repressed Scrooge McDuck, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Uncle Scrooge McDuck, no happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:00:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28473561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReesieReads/pseuds/ReesieReads
Summary: Della comes back from the moon overjoyed to see her family, but that all changes when she realizes her brother is missing.
Relationships: Della Duck & Scrooge McDuck
Comments: 5
Kudos: 38





	Consequences

“Hey, where’s Donnie?”

Della had been back for little over a half hour already, and as much as she was  _ overjoyed  _ to see her Uncle and kids, she missed her brother. The last time she had seen Donald he had been asleep on the couch next to the boy’s nest… she had been sneaking out to the Spear of Selene at the time.

Scrooge’s face fell, and Della felt a spike of anxiety. “Where is my brother?” She demanded, fists clenching.

“Let’s talk about this later,” the older Duck offered in voice that said he definitely  _ didn’t  _ plan on talking to her about it later. “You just got here, and I’m sure the boys want to spend time with you!”

After a whole decade her Uncle still knew exactly how to get her to do something. As much as Della wanted (no  _ needed)  _ to know where Donald was, she could tell the subject wasn’t good. All of the kids had grown completely silent, even Turb- _ Dewey,  _ who Della had deduced was the most excitable of the bunch.

“Okay,” she conceded with a sigh, forcing herself to smile and turn to her kids. “So, what do you guys like to do?”

-

_ “Talk.” _

It was late now, and Della had put the boys to bed only a couple of minutes ago. As soon as she had given them good night kisses, she had stormed to Scrooge’s office, slamming open the door with little decorum. Her Uncle had only sighed, looking up from his paperwork warily as she stood in front of his desk with crossed arms.

“Lass, I really don’t think-“

“He’s my  _ brother,”  _ Della insisted, a hint of pleading in her tone. She didn’t know what happened to Donald, but she could scrape together an idea. She  _ needed  _ to know what happened so her brain could finally stop torturing her with gruesome images.  _ “Please.” _

Scrooge sighed, looking down at his desk for a moment as if steeling himself. When he met her eyes again they were harsher and distant, “it was on his houseboat, the one he had raised the lads on…”

-

_ “I can’t believe this!” _

_ Donald tugged at the wires in his houseboat’s engine, grumbling angrily to himself. He had managed to repair everything but the engine, the wires all snipped and frayed in a way Donald had no idea how to fix. Something told him that most of it was probably thanks to Dewey’s ‘escape’ attempt, but he knew some of it was likely just from age. Houseboat’s weren’t made to handle three rowdy boys for a full decade after all. _

_ “Ow!” He reeled back as the frayed wires sparked, feeling his hands sting from the stray electricity. Donald expected for the sparks to fade but they only grew larger, letting out a loud hiss as they ate away at the frayed wires in his hands. _

_ It was too late by the time he realized what was about to happen. _

-

“We… we were on an adventure at the time, Beakley let us know when we got back.”

Della didn’t respond, taking a moment to collect herself. Her eyes were stinging with unshed tears, and her hands shook at her sides. As much as she argued with Donald, she still  _ loved  _ him. He was her other half, her  _ twin.  _

And the last time she had seen him was eleven years ago, betraying his trust and leaving him with three children.

She hid her face in her hands, a sob ripping its way out of her throat as emotion overcame her. Della had assumed the worst, but nothing could have prepared her for the direct truth. At that moment she felt more alone then she had ever felt in her life, even with the moon in mind.

“Lass..” Scrooge said sadly, hesitating before he stood up from his chair and came over to her. He wrapped his arms around her in an awkward attempt at a hug. Della melted into his grip despite his stiffness though, taking solace in her Uncle as she hugged him back tightly.

“I  _ left  _ them,” she cried, finding that once she had allowed herself to be upset everything else had caught up with her. The guilt of leaving, the shock of coming back, Donald’s death…  _ everything.  _ “I left him, I left  _ you.  _ I’m so  _ sorry!” _

“It’s okay,” Scrooge soothed, “you're here now, it’s okay.”

She wished she could believe him.


End file.
